What Fate Brings
by ShiverIntheLight
Summary: When Ike is missing from the campfire after a victorious battle against Daeins in Talrega it leaves one green-haired princess curious of where he could be. Once she finds him she realizes that long quelled feelings are slowly rising in her and all she can do now is just let them out and confess... Contains Ike/Elincia. Co-edited with my friend FoxRocks. Enjoy!


What Fate Brings

**Disclaimer: FoxRocks and I don't own these precious Fire Emblem characters. Intelligent Systems and Nintendo have that right alone.**

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Snow descended in lazy spirals from the clouds cloying the sky, covering the battlefield ground. It began to fall soon after the Greil Mercenaries vanquished the Daein soldiers in a grueling battle in Talrega. Most of the mercenaries cheered in victory; Shinon being partial and showing off while Ike seemed thoughtful, blue eyes flickering.

"Those Daeins never seem to give up and just surrender their arms. They are no match for us...those scum." The marksman belted out a laugh after saying this and Gatrie joined in, snowflakes landing on his blue blood-stained armor and melting.

After assembling a campsite and pitching the tents a dinner was soon prepared, the warm smells of cooking wafting through the air. Princess Elincia breathed deeply, a smile on her face. Ike's sister, Mist, was a fantastic cook and it made the Crimean princess laugh when the genial girl would speak of how much Ike made fun of her food.

As the fire burned hot, making the snowflakes melt with a hiss Elincia took a dainty sip of the beef stew, eyes lighting in pleasure at the taste. Boyd ripped into a meat hunk while Rolf and Mist laughed alongside him, having a nudge war. Soren blinked his red eyes once, then took a drink of the stew. All the mercenaries were sitting about the fire on chopped logs, Gatrie taking up more than half the space as usual.

Elincia realized that Ike wasn't at the fire and her usual worry flared up in her mind.

"Does anyone know where Lord Ike is?" she asked as she set her stew bowl in her lap.

While some of the mercenaries shook their heads, Titania said, "I'm not entirely sure, princess. I haven't seen him since the battle ended."

Elincia drank all her stew, then excused herself and stood, deciding to see if the mercenary leader was in his tent. When she pulled away the tent flap after approaching she saw that it looked empty, and her forehead furrowed in thought.

_Where could he be? _the princess wondered as she stood for a moment, trying to think.

The snow continued to fall in the same pleasant pace it had been keeping up since it started. The wind cut right through Elincia's orange gown, whipping the hem about with ease. She refused to shiver and wrapped her arms around herself. Then she had the sudden incentive to leave the camp and see if Ike was around the battlefield.

She followed her gut and walked out from the camp, looking about her as the battlefield and the fallen corpses loomed closer. The princess of Crimea shivered again and sidestepped a weeping body, the snow a pink color under its bulk.

Then she saw him and the way he held himself made her pause. His back was to her, red cape tousled by the wind every now and then. His arms were relaxed at his side, but his posture was not so. It looked tense, even worn out if Elincia took a closer look.

My lord?" she called as she came closer, footsteps muffled by the snow. Ike turned to give her a sidelong glance.

"Is something wrong?" Elincia prodded and the blue-haired man shook his head, returning his gaze back in the distance. The princess blinked and came over closer until she stood next to him, the mercenary's body heat warm like the flames of the cooking fire.

"You should be back at the camp warming up, princess. It's cold out here." Ike turned to face her and the princess shook her head.

"I have been looking for you, my lord. You weren't at the campfire so I decided to try and find you. What're you doing out here?"

"I'm just thinking." His blue eyes flickered and Elincia cocked her head.

"About the battle we won?"

"No...about what will happen once everything blows over and this war ends. I'm thinking about what my mercenaries shall do," Ike said and Elincia looked up at him.

"Are you nervous about becoming the queen of Crimea, princess?" he asked suddenly and the abruptness of the question made her blink.

"I...don't know. Truthfully I don't know what to think. I had been raised out of the royal standards on a villa in seclusion. I guess you could say that I feel a bit nervous due to me being different than any other royal in the family," she said and Ike inclined his head in understanding.

"Was it hard for you to take over your mercenary group when your...father died?" Elincia asked, knowing she might be straying in dangerous territory with this conversation.

However Ike made no indication that her question bothered him as he said, "It was, princess. I had to deal with every responsibility for the mercenaries early in life. I sometimes wonder if my leading is fair or if people truly would fight under me if questioned."

"You should have more faith in yourself. I know I do." Princess Elincia took his hand and Ike was startled by the gesture.

"Why?" he asked and she said, "You have provided for me when I feared all hope was lost. My lord, you could have denied my offer to hire you. You could have just left me in the dirt back in Crimea and let the Daein men find me and take me to Ashnard. But you didn't."

"I know," Ike said and he saw a smile on the princess's face.

"You are a kind person. I am truly grateful to you for what you have done for me and more," Elincia said and the blue-haired mercenary had to smile as well. The sight of the smile, casual and not forced, took the princess's breath away. She had never seen Ike smile in all the months she had been in his company and it pleased her to finally see it.

She had been contemplating her feelings for the grim man ever since he comforted her on the ship ride to Begnion, determined to make her feel happy despite her seasickness. Elincia remembered the way Ike had spoken to her in soft and concerned tones. The princess knew at times she worried for him extensively and she knew the reason why. _It's because I like him...more than just in a professional sense._

"Elincia...your words flatter me. They do." Ike chuckled and Elincia giggled alongside him, her face heating somewhat. She liked to hear his rare and masculine sounding laugh. A laugh that was meant to be expressed.

"However, it is all true. I mean every word I say," she said after quelling her amusement and Ike looked at her.

"But why? You support me and care about me. That much is true. But is there a reason?" Ike asked, his question prodding and curious. Elincia blushed again as she swallowed silently, her hands sweating despite the weather.

Before she could answer a gusting wind tore through them and Elincia gasped at its chill. Then the mercenary's arms were around her and the princess found herself nuzzled into his body, his cape pulled around them.

"You are warm, my lord," she remarked and Ike chuckled, the sound resonating against Princess Elincia's ear from his chest.

"That's why I suggested that you should be back in the camp by the fire, princess." His smile didn't fade and the princess of Crimea shook her head.

"I like it out here...talking with you. We haven't been able to do that and I want to get to know you more," she said.

"I know. We have been too busy dealing with Daein soldiers and trying to liberate Crimea. Sometimes I feel that my mercenaries and I will never get any rest," he said, the pensive look returning to his blue eyes again. Elincia looked at him as his gaze was drawn to a snowy mountain in the distance, the snowflakes ceasing to fall, providing a clear view.

"You shouldn't be worrying, my lord. That is supposed to be my job," the princess joked and Ike smiled, looking back at her. His arms were still around her, shielding her from the biting wind, but she didn't mind. She felt blissful enough just being in his presence.

"Princess?"

"Mmm?"

"What's going to happen between us when you...become the queen of Crimea? Are you going to forget about us?" the blue-haired mercenary leader asked and Elincia looked up at him, startled.

"No, my lord! How could you think that?" she said. "I could never forget your bravery or heart to win back my throne. I will never forget you most of all. What would make you say that?"

"I don't know." Now Ike looked pained. "I can't explain it, but I just don't want you to forget about me or my mercenaries."

"I won't. I promise." The Crimean princess looked into his eyes as he looked back into hers.

They were silent for a moment as Ike let the princess go, the warmth of his arms fading from her body. Ike's gaze was on a few bloody Daein corpses; snapped weapons and dented armor lay about the snow.

"Princess, I feel you have something to say to me," Ike said after a moment and Elincia felt started that the mercenary was able to catch on so quickly.

"I...I do," she said, her voice wavering as the nervousness came back.

He waited for her to speak.

"Ever since you met me I have been thinking and praying a lot while we traveled to Gallia and to Begnion. Even now I pray, and I make sure to do so every night."

"What do you pray about or for?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Mostly for you. I pray that the Goddess Ashera should look upon you and bless you for all the good deeds you do everyday for people."

Ike was silent for a moment, which prompted Elincia to continue.

"On the ship, when you comforted me while I was sick, I felt that I saw a side to you that I have never seen. I want to...see that side of you again, my lord. It made me feel happy that I was alive and well even while my parents..." she paused, holding back a sound of emotion. Ike didn't speak a word, his eyes were on her, looking poignant and squarely into hers. But an emotion was in his eyes, and it made the princess of Crimea secretly wonder what it could be.

"I only comforted you because it was the right thing. I felt surprised that none of my mercenaries truly cared about your ailment besides saying their sympathies," the mercenary finally said.

"I think there was more to it, for you do the right thing everyday. You said none of your other mercenaries cared when I was seasick, but you proved that you are different from them in a way."

"Princess...do you care for me?" he asked and Elincia nodded without missing a beat.

"Of course I do."

"I mean in a love way."

At these words she knew that the mercenary could perceive her blush in the augmenting gloom, which gave him her answer. But he waited for her to say it. Elincia felt jittery, but she held it back, not wanting to look nervous in front of him.

"Yes...I do, my lord. That's another thing I wanted to confess to you. On the ship to Sienne...after you would leave me at night to go back into your cabin I'd start to think about you. And my thoughts always would make me smile."

Ike looked at her and then his hand cupped her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

"Elincia..." he trailed off and the princess felt a tingle enter her. She knew it had been the first time he had said her name without a honorific and it sounded natural coming from him.

"I don't care if we are in different classes...Ike. I'm just so tired of being alone in this world." Princess Elincia grasped him into an embrace, not wanting to say anymore or she might stammer and make a fool of herself.

Ike reciprocated, his arms wrapping around her as well, and their eyes closed as the touch of their bodies clicked. They looked up at each other then for a split moment and the mercenary leader brushed Elincia's green hair out of her face with a gentle touch as he kissed her.

Elincia quivered under his touch and kissed him in return, tentative at first but then going deeper and bolder as the moment lingered. Mercenary and princess held each other in the darkening light as they drew back, eyes shining, chests rising and falling in augmented breaths.

"Ike...my lord." She didn't know what else to say to him as she nuzzled into his warm body, a smile of untamed bliss appearing on her lips. Ike smiled as he held the princess closer to him, not wanting to let go.

It didn't matter how long they stayed out there, but it felt like mere minutes as they heard the mercenaries calling, trying to find them.

"I suppose we better head back to the camp," Ike stated and the princess nodded, her arm wrapping around his. The couple walked back to the camp, not looking back at the battlefield, looking forward into their futures together.


End file.
